‘Must remain vigilant’: Yogi Adityanath says ‘love jihad’ conspiracy to change religious demographics

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised the need for alertness against “love jihad”, describing it as a calculated attempt to disrupt religious demographics. He highlighted that his administration proactively enacted a law in 2020 to address these concerns.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the nine-day Shri Ram Katha Mahotsav in Lucknow, Adityanath pointed out that although the Kerala High Court had raised alarms on the issue years ago, it was the Uttar Pradesh government that enacted a strict law.

He said, “The Kerala High Court had expressed concern in 2009 and 2011 about this (love jihad), that it is a conspiracy to change religious demographics. We never paid attention to it. We enacted a strict law on this in Uttar Pradesh in 2020. We must remain vigilant…Whoever has made Ram the ideal of their life, their welfare has been ensured.”

जिसने भी प्रभु श्री राम को अपने जीवन का आदर्श बनाया, उसका कल्याण हुआ है… pic.twitter.com/eThScB4SDw

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 9, 2026

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned CM Yogi’s commitment to the core tenets of Sanatan Dharma while claiming that the current government has deviated from the path of truth. He alleged that the “head of the government” does not follow the path of truth.

Emphasising the perceived hypocrisy in the government’s stance, Akhilesh Yadav, while talking to the reporters, said, “Our CM has no love for affection–his love is for land. Just check the records in Gorakhpur to see in whose name the highest number of property registrations have been made. Sanatan Dharma shows us the path of love, brotherhood and represents the path of truth. Yet, the head of the government does not follow the path of truth.”

Earlier, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that efforts to prevent “love jihad” must begin within families. He made the remarks while he addressed the ‘Stri Shakti Samvad’ programme in Bhopal. In December 2025, Bhagwat also spoke against live-in relationships, emphasising the importance of family structure in society.

There are many petitions challenging the anti-conversion laws passed by the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

The pleas challenging the law stated that the laws passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand against ‘Love Jihad’ and punishments thereof may be declared ultra vires and null and void because they disturb the basic structure of the Constitution as laid down by the law. (ANI)